If Google Earth's flight simulator feature doesn't appeal to you, there's now a new option for flying around the Earth: a free Google Earth VR app that works on the HTC Vive virtual reality headset.

The app, available for download starting today, is way more immersive than the flight simulator. You can walk around urban canyons as if you were a giant, crouch down to see what's going on at street level, and stand up again for a bird's-eye view. Using the Vive's wireless controllers, you can also fly through landscapes as Superman would.

Choosing where to visit entails holding a globe with one controller and spinning it with the other. Once you've found a spot, you click to teleport to it. If you're not sure where to go, Earth VR comes with cinematic tours and pre-picked destinations like the Amazon River, the Manhattan skyline, the Grand Canyon, and the Swiss Alps.

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For those without an HTC Vive, Google offers some 2D sample views of famous landmarks—including the Hoover Dam, the Space Needle, and Switzerland's matterhorn—to make you jealous of the experiences you're missing out on.

There are multiple VR apps that harness Google Earth imagery, including some that work with low-end headsets like the Samsung Gear VR. But many of those are limited to stationary 360-degree views, and don't allow you to move around within the virtual world.

For now, Earth VR is Vive-only, although VR Apps product manager Mike Podwal told The Verge that Google is "actively exploring support for other platforms."

About the Author

As a hardware analyst, Tom tests and reviews laptops, peripherals, and much more at PC Labs in New York City. He previously covered the consumer tech beat as a news reporter for PCMag in San Francisco and Silicon Valley, where he rode in several self-driving cars and witnessed the rise and fall of many startups. Before that, he worked for PCMag's s... See Full Bio

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